Table of Contents

Analyzing Trial Time in California, Colorado, and New Jersey, 1986 (ICPSR 9223)

Principal Investigator(s):Sipes, Dale Anne, University of Michigan; Oram, Mary Elsner, University of Michigan

Summary:

This study of nine courts was undertaken to identify
procedural factors that can be used to reduce the length of criminal
and civil trials without impairing fairness. The data collection
provides direct information on the actual amount of time consumed by
various trial segments and the perceived length of trial segments as
gauged by judges and attorneys. In addition, data are supplied on the
legal community's attitudes toward existing trial length, reasons for
it, and judicial contro... (more info)

This study of nine courts was undertaken to identify
procedural factors that can be used to reduce the length of criminal
and civil trials without impairing fairness. The data collection
provides direct information on the actual amount of time consumed by
various trial segments and the perceived length of trial segments as
gauged by judges and attorneys. In addition, data are supplied on the
legal community's attitudes toward existing trial length, reasons for
it, and judicial control over it. The trial case file contains
information on types of cases and trials, estimated trial length, type
of disposition, type of defense attorney, number of claims,
cross-claims, and counterclaims, number of exhibits introduced, number
of expert and lay witnesses called by the defense, number of
peremptory challenges, and day and time the trial ended. The
questionnaire data contain information on professional experiences,
number of cases tried per month, opinions about time consumed by each
segment of the trial, estimated time used in each segment, and
attitudes toward judicial control over the trial length.

Access Notes

One or more data files in this study are set up in a non-standard format, such as card image format. Users
may need help converting these files before they can be used for analysis.

Universe:
Civil and criminal trial cases, trial judges, and civil
and criminal attorneys in California, Colorado, and New Jersey.

Data Types:
survey data

Methodology

Sample:
There are two samples. In the trial case sample, cases
were obtained from a convenience sample of ongoing trials heard during
March 1986-January 1987 in three counties in each of the three
states. For the survey, mailing lists of judges, civil plaintiff's
attorneys, private criminal defense attorneys, criminal prosecutors,
and public defenders were obtained from the court administrator's
office at each site. Completed surveys were received from 57 judges
(50 percent response rate), 197 criminal attorneys (47 percent), and
131 civil attorneys (38 percent).

Data Source:

self-enumerated forms

Version(s)

Original ICPSR Release:1989-09-26

Version History:

2006-01-18 File CB9223.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.

2005-01-14 The second version of the Criminal Trial File
(former Part 3 on the download page), which was redundant with Part 2,
was removed.